Zdenek Fibich (1850 - 1900) was the youngest of the three founders of modern Czech music (Smetana, Dvorák, Fibich). He was a versatile talent with a broad interest in various art forms. It is because of this all-round craftsmanship and this international orientation that he has never become as loved as Smetana and Dvorák, who showed a much more unmistakable Czech sound. Fibich's most important
… works include the "Moods, Impressions and Memories" (see cax5242) and the melodramatic (meaning spoken word in combination with music) trilogy "Hippodamia" ("Pelops 'proposal", "Tantalus' repentance" , "Hippodamia's death"). As a conductor Fibich knew a number of important melodramatic works, such as compositions by Benda and "Manfred" by Schumann. In these works, however, there was usually some alternation between text and music. However, "Hippodamia" combines text and music at the same time. This combination of text and music, in combination with an ingenious use of 'Leitmotives' and the unusual size, gives "Hippodamia" a place of its own in music history. "Hippodamia" was based on a text by the Czech poet Jaroslav Vrchlicky (1853-1912). The work is based on a Greek myth about the tragic marriage between Pelops and Hyppodamia. "Hippodamia" can be heard in a performance on six CDs by the BRNO State Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Jaroslav Krombholc. The lyrics are spoken in Czech. Translations of the libretto in English are included with this issue. (This release is split! See aex1243, aex1244, aex1245) (HJ) _more
